Mistrial declared in molest case

MUNCIE – A jury in a local molest case deliberated for 11 hours Thursday and Friday before announcing it was hopelessly deadlocked.

Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. declared a mistrial in the case about 4 a.m. Friday. The jury had started its deliberations about 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Judi Calhoun said later in the day she intended to bring former Muncie resident Bruce Allen Gee, 51, to trial for a second time on allegations he allowed an 11-year-old foster child to fondle his genitals.

Gee, represented by attorneys Jill Gonzalez and Amber Neal, maintained on the witness stand that the child initiated the contact, and that he did nothing to provoke it.

The incidents were alleged to have taken place at Gee’s westside Muncie home in early 2012. Gee was charged with child molesting, a Class C felony carrying a standard four-year prison term, and child solicitation, a Class D felony with a standard 18-month sentence.

Gee also faces charges of sexual misconduct with a minor and child solicitation over allegations involving another foster child. That case was set for trial next Tuesday, but Judge Cannon said Friday it would be rescheduled.

A new trial date has not yet been set in the case that ended with Friday’s mistrial.

Gee is set to stand trial Nov. 18 on two counts of intimidation and a single count of pointing a firearm. In that case, he is accused of threatening two teenagers with a rifle at his home.

Last December that case was heard by another Circuit Court 5 jury that was unable to reach verdicts, resulting in a mistrial.

Gee is also scheduled to stand trial, on a molesting charge, in Madison Circuit Court 3 on Sept. 16.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.